Birds At the birdbath...focus?

[Gogogordy]

Zone focus mode...tough shot, nailed the water not the bather. Close, but no cigar.
Suggestions for better focus (bird) this type of shot?

• ILCE-6400
• E 70-350mm F4.5-6.3 G OSS
• 350.0 mm
• ƒ/6.3
• 1/4000 sec
• ISO 3200

the b

 

[FowlersFreeTime]

Regarding focus, does animal eye autofocus work on birds with the a6400, or is that the territory of more sophisticated cameras like the A1? In which case, maybe manual focus would have been better? Like, if you were staking out this spot and knew you would have a bird on the edge of the bath you could either re-focus or rock back and forth to see the focus peaking on the screen is lined up with the bird.

Also why is your ISO so high and shutter so quick? did you need 1/4000 to freeze the water droplets in the air? I have no idea, I've never had the chance to use that lens.

 

[Jeff A]

Zone focus mode...tough shot, nailed the water not the bather. Close, but no cigar.
Suggestions for better focus (bird) this type of shot?

View attachment 9914 the b

I think that you probably guessed you had a problem before you took the shot. I might have tried focusing on the Bird Bath (I use Back Button Focus, so I can do that first) then take the shot with an f/stop in the f/8 range or a little more. Unforftunately I'm a beginner and I don't have a wealth of experience to draw on.

 

[Uncle Kevriano]

Centre Focus every time. Zone looks for anything in it's area of focus so I only find it useful if you have a clear background. I'll find an example shot to show how well centre works, but the reason for it being so good is that it is literally one focus point that you control .

 

[Gogogordy]

Regarding focus, does animal eye autofocus work on birds with the a6400, or is that the territory of more sophisticated cameras like the A1? In which case, maybe manual focus would have been better? Like, if you were staking out this spot and knew you would have a bird on the edge of the bath you could either re-focus or rock back and forth to see the focus peaking on the screen is lined up with the bird.

Also why is your ISO so high and shutter so quick? did you need 1/4000 to freeze the water droplets in the air? I have no idea, I've never had the chance to use that lens.

The eye is behind a droplet of water...most of it anyway. Hence the crystal clear droplet several inches ahead of the bird's eyeball.
IF the eye AF works in Zone Mode? In other words, I believe the camera mistook the water droplet for an eyeball.

 

[Gogogordy]

Centre Focus every time. Zone looks for anything in it's area of focus so I only find it useful if you have a clear background. I'll find an example shot to show how well centre works, but the reason for it being so good is that it is literally one focus point that you control .

Good advice, Thanks.

 

[Uncle Kevriano]

Here's a recent shot. Using centre focus aimed at the birds head/eye and then allowing the depth of field to keep everything in the foreground in focus too.

• ILCE-7RM4
• FE 200-600mm F5.6-6.3 G OSS
• 600.0 mm
• ƒ/8
• 1/1250 sec
• ISO 640

 

[Uncle Kevriano]

Here's a better example of where using centre focus will help with keeping focus on the subject. This was taken from the car, which you can see reflected in his eye.

• ILCE-7RM4
• FE 200-600mm F5.6-6.3 G OSS
• 600.0 mm
• ƒ/6.3
• 1/640 sec
• ISO 800

 

[Gogogordy]

Here's a better example of where using centre focus will help with keeping focus on the subject. This was taken from the car, which you can see reflected in his eye.View attachment 9958

Thank you and great shot!